kd1yt
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I've got a JT Gladiator that I bought in August and that I am really happy with the 6 speed MT, even though I really dislike the numbness of the clutch. I'm in my 50s and have driven way more miles with manuals than with autos. I've never, ever, had any trouble stalling MT vehicles but I do sometimes with this, just because I find this clutch so ambiguous with no signals or feedback about when you are in the friction zone.
Which brings me to my question- Friday was not a good day. 12 hours at work, then come home to use the tractor to clear 14" of heavy snow on my parents' long drive, and then intending to clear my own drive. Tractor's joystick cable snaps. Tractor down for the count at least until I can get the part.
Go to my own place and the JT was able to go through the tall dense roadside plowbank into my driveway. Not something I'd usually want to do but had no choice, can't park on this road.
Got through the plowbank fine, Went to turn around in the deep snow in my driveway, the extra resistance of sharp steering angle in 4wd in deep snow meant: stall-out as I was backing up. At that point I was exhausted and ticked off at everything, and in an effort to not stall again, unintentionally revved the engine more than I intended as I let the clutch out. Heard bad sounds, immediately backed off the throttle, immediately put the clutch to the floor, and smelled a hot smoky powerful smell that you never want to smell from a clutch. And I have a weak sense of smell, so if I'm smelling it strongly, and with the way that the smell hung around, it was a powerful smell. I think I glanced the tach at around 2K as I realized that I was unintentionally doing something really stupid as I pulled my foot off the throttle entirely, and pushed the clutch to the floor. Wised up and put the truck in 4LO and gently moved it to where I wanted to park it for the night.
So my question is - I know that what I did is something that you never want to do to a clutch, and that I doubtless shortened its useful life compared to what its life would've been without this incident - but, with this clutch, how likely is it that I've done serious damage that could crop up in the near term?
I just don't know enough about how durable these clutches are in this series vehicle. If I have done serious damage that is going to crop up and bite me at some random time when I don't expect it, I'd rather bite the bullet and replace the clutch before I risk random strandedness.
Which brings me to my question- Friday was not a good day. 12 hours at work, then come home to use the tractor to clear 14" of heavy snow on my parents' long drive, and then intending to clear my own drive. Tractor's joystick cable snaps. Tractor down for the count at least until I can get the part.
Go to my own place and the JT was able to go through the tall dense roadside plowbank into my driveway. Not something I'd usually want to do but had no choice, can't park on this road.
Got through the plowbank fine, Went to turn around in the deep snow in my driveway, the extra resistance of sharp steering angle in 4wd in deep snow meant: stall-out as I was backing up. At that point I was exhausted and ticked off at everything, and in an effort to not stall again, unintentionally revved the engine more than I intended as I let the clutch out. Heard bad sounds, immediately backed off the throttle, immediately put the clutch to the floor, and smelled a hot smoky powerful smell that you never want to smell from a clutch. And I have a weak sense of smell, so if I'm smelling it strongly, and with the way that the smell hung around, it was a powerful smell. I think I glanced the tach at around 2K as I realized that I was unintentionally doing something really stupid as I pulled my foot off the throttle entirely, and pushed the clutch to the floor. Wised up and put the truck in 4LO and gently moved it to where I wanted to park it for the night.
So my question is - I know that what I did is something that you never want to do to a clutch, and that I doubtless shortened its useful life compared to what its life would've been without this incident - but, with this clutch, how likely is it that I've done serious damage that could crop up in the near term?
I just don't know enough about how durable these clutches are in this series vehicle. If I have done serious damage that is going to crop up and bite me at some random time when I don't expect it, I'd rather bite the bullet and replace the clutch before I risk random strandedness.
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